STUDY: Just One in 10 Educators Give their School an 'A' in Available Technology

Walker Sands Inaugural State of Education Technology Study Explores Gaps to Incorporating Technology into School Curriculum

CHICAGO, IL (PRWEB) JUNE 13, 2017 -- Only thirteen percent of educators give their school/university an ‘A’ when asked to rank their available technology’s ability to improve the learning experience for students, according to a new study from public relations and digital marketing agency, Walker Sands Communications.

To help educators and education technology (edtech) companies get a better benchmark on how technology impacts today’s education landscape, Walker Sands surveyed more than 500 education professionals from across the United States on their experiences with education technology and its impact in the classroom.

The report, called “Evaluation of EdTech: What Technology Means to Educators Across America,” determined that most educators view technology as a positive addition to the classroom. Education professionals say top goals for edtech include a way to better engage students (69 percent), access to more academic resources (58 percent) and a means to better prepare students for academic success (58 percent).

However, many barriers limit edtech’s full potential at schools/universities. Cost (29 percent), compatibility with existing technologies (24 percent) and ease of use (22 percent) are top concerns for edtech purchasing decision makers, as found by the study.

The study also identified that distractedness (42 percent), price (25 percent), and alienation (22 percent) are three of the top concerns when it comes to adopting technology in the classroom.

“Overall the report reveals that educators are open to using technology in the classroom if they help them meet their preset academic achievement goals for their students, while avoiding the factors that schools have grown weary of, such as cost, ease-of-use and compatibility,” said Dave Parro, a partner and vice president at Walker Sands.

Eighty-nine percent of education professionals also find value in augmented reality and virtual reality in the classroom, with 31 percent of those saying the technologies will change teaching and learning in the classroom as we know it.

Many parties are involved in the edtech decision-making process at schools. However teachers are typically not one of them. Administrators are most responsible for making edtech decisions, followed by heads of IT and edtech, while just five percent of teachers have a say in the technologies that will be put in their classrooms.

The top three sources of guidance for edtech decision-making are word of mouth (53 percent), online research (52 percent) and conferences (50 percent).

“Based on the results of our survey, edtech companies that are able to bridge the knowledge gap of available resources and help educators and administrators understand where edtech fits into today’s classrooms will have a major opportunity,” said Erin Jordan, account director at Walker Sands.

About Walker Sands
Walker Sands is a public relations and digital marketing agency for business-to-business technology companies. With an integrated approach to creative services, Walker Sands helps clients build brand awareness, enhance credibility and drive new business. Walker Sands is a four-time Inc. 5000 honoree and regular recipient of some of the industry’s most prestigious awards from organizations including Entrepreneur, Holmes Report and Hermes Creative. Walker Sands was founded in 2001 and has offices in Chicago and San Francisco. To learn more, visit walkersands.com or walkersandsdigital.com.